PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
I just noticed there was no more dirty book store on Shang-ri-la drive.
End of an Era
- Thread starter PeoplesElbow
- Start date
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
The adult outlet sign is goneOh, its still there, just has a more honest name
glhs837
Power with Control
Damn, not been through there in a while.... Wonder if ASEC finally got that space, and what the disinfecting bill will come out to...
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
Always wondered why a contractor would rent beside the dirty book store. But I have meet a few skeevy contractors over the years.
glhs837
Power with Control
Not those guys, I worked for them for six years. Top notch company. The founders Vinny and Dave are both great guys. The low cost per square foot enabled them to pay well and still charge the govt less. That corner space is a huge conference room, officially named the DC Conference Room after Donut Connection
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
Another one that is not far kept inviting me to lunch, offering me alcoholic drinks because they wanted my electrical design for something so they could profit from it while not hiring their own design engineer.Not those guys, I worked for them for six years. Top notch company. The founders Vinny and Dave are both great guys. The low cost per square foot enabled them to pay well and still charge the govt less. That corner space is a huge conference room, officially named the DC Conference Room after Donut Connection
glhs837
Power with Control
Yeah, I dealt with a couple that seemed sorta fringe in that complex, surviving off of table scraps. ASECs not like that at all. I think somewhere north of 300 people, employee owned these days, locations in Jax and up the road. Was a fun bunch, and when the founders said "Get the job done and make the customer happy, Rule #1", they meant it. I only jumped because an amazing opportunity came up. Still work with their people on occasion, always good folks.
When I first relocated to southern Maryland, I was looking for a map. I went into that store to buy one. There were very few books for sale. Which I thought was unusual for a, you know, book store. I asked about a map and they didn't sell them. Out I went. Later I learned there was a back room where all the action was. Then it made sense why the front of the store was so bare of anything to buy.
They went "dark" sometime last fall.
I drive by there most every day as I live off Willows.
I drive by there most every day as I live off Willows.
glhs837
Power with Control
I'm a huge reader, like anywhere from 5-8 books a month, especially back then in 1993, newly single and only basic cable. No money, being freshly divorced. Saw the bookstore, and that they both bought and sold used books. Having brought hundreds down with me, when money was tight and I needed new books, I bagged up a brown grocery bag full and took them down. They gave me enough for those 20 paperbacks to buy 6 or eight used ones, and form some reason they had a decent selection of science fiction. Which I added to. Did this like once a month for the first few months I was there. Never even looked at the door heading to the back, just gave him my bag and browsed until he totaled it up and told what I had to spend.
Not long after that, someone mentioned the bookstore in passing, I didn't catch it the details, just said I loved that place, it was a great source of used books........... Needless to say, that room full of AOs looked at me a bit funny
Only thing that saved me was that one guy had been to my apartment and vouched that there were literally books stacked everywhere...
You need a better class of friends.
Grumpy
Well-Known Member
ASEC is good people, have dealt with them for 10 years
glhs837
Power with Control
I got friends for all seasons
For camaraderie and sheer got your back, hard to beat AOs. Some engineers of various varieties, a few stoners, some hippies, one First Nations pal up in Nova Scotia 
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
A math problem would have given you the same funny lookNot long after that, someone mentioned the bookstore in passing, I didn't catch it the details, just said I loved that place, it was a great source of used books........... Needless to say, that room full of AOs looked at me a bit funny
glhs837
Power with Control
A math problem would have given you the same funny look
Why do you think I befriend engineers?
When we moved down here 20 years ago my neighbor took me there when we went out for a girls night. I was confused cause she had already told me she wasn't a big reader, then she showed me the back room. It became a tradition to take any new friends that weren't local there the 1st time they came with us for girls night. One never spoke to us again, another kept trying to find new people to bring as an excuse to go back
Ah...memories!
Ah...memories!
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
For a while every new engineer we got straight out of college I would suggest the book store and Rosie's as places to go. One came in the next day and said "you son of a bitch, I took my girlfriend there and now she won't quit making fun of me"When we moved down here 20 years ago my neighbor took me there when we went out for a girls night. I was confused cause she had already told me she wasn't a big reader, then she showed me the back room. It became a tradition to take any new friends that weren't local there the 1st time they came with us for girls night. One never spoke to us again, another kept trying to find new people to bring as an excuse to go back
Ah...memories!
BOP
Well-Known Member
The story I got, from a "reliable source" was that one of the owners of a small business that does business with NAVAIR - some engineering, mostly logistics - was, back in the day, herself a contractor. Well, there was a meeting in Texas with one of the primes, and after the meeting, a bunch of fellas and her retired to the local watering hole, that happened to be a strip club.
She was not amused. Filed complaints, heads rolled - my source was one of the ones that got hung out to dry. I don't know that anyone lost their job, either as a GS or as a contractor, but people were censured and/or reassigned. Lots of folks really unhappy with her.